It is known from vehicle technology that, for automatic transmissions in particular, positive-locking shifting elements, such as claw couplings or claw brakes, are used (among other things). A pressure sensor is provided for detecting relative movements of the shifting elements; this records the operating pressure of the respective shifting element. Based on the recording of the operating pressure, the relative movements of the shifting element can be detected.
However, if the actual current starting position of the shifting element, referred to below as the “initial position,” is known, whether the shifting element is in an end stop position cannot be determined on the basis of the detection of movements by the pressure sensor. In addition, the end stop position in which the shifting element is possibly found cannot be detected.
This invention is subject to the task of proposing a method of the type described above for which the initial position is determined.